6/28 Paris, ID

Honestly not much has changed in the past week. We are still consistently trying to find more teaching opportunities. Me and my companion, Elder Felton, are getting along really well and work really well together. I really started to notice this when we were teaching this less active and he had a ton of questions for us and he didn't really like the answers that we were giving him but lesson really well and me and my companion were really good at noticing when the other was getting a little frustrated and we would transition really well and give the other a break and time to cool down. I hope that everyone had an opportunity to watch the worldwide leadership training broadcast from the general authorities. It was amazing and is a really eye opener on how the church feels about missionary work. I feel like the church is pushing for a dramatic increase in missionary work and bringing others to restored gospel of Jesus Christ. If you did not watch it I recommend all to watch the video because the training was great for all members of the church. Oh and in the video when they were talking about missionaries getting the internet they were talking about how each missionary will be getting an iPad and each companionship will get an iPhone. These devices will be used to replace area books and daily planners and to teach people over the internet. This month alone in the Ogden mission there has been around 30 lessons over Facebook and face time. This is already being tested in a zone in both the Salt Lake and Ogden missions and once it passes it will move on to the whole missions (Salt Lake and Ogden) and once it passes that trial it will be spred out throughout many other missions including the Idaho Pocatello Mission :) So now that I am moving missions I will have to wait a little bit longer to get those but I should have the opportunity to use them by the end of my mission. I will be creating an Elder Curtis facebook page because there has already been a couple auxiliaries in the Paris Stake that have asked to add me and my companion so everyone should add me :) I will post a link below.

Just look up this email: james.curtis@myldsmail.net in the facebook search box to find me I haven't put up a picture yet but that will find me

6/18/13 Paris, ID

Everything is going pretty good in the Paris Stake. It's just a little hard in the area that I am in right now I'm having a hard time staying motivate when nobody is really home during the day. So yeah 1 to 5 time slot is a hard struggle right now but our evenings are going pretty good talking to a lot of members and we have gotten a few referrals for people to go talk to and see if they would like us to come teach them. What we have found out though from the past couple weeks that this area is really in need of some help in reactivate the less active members of the church. On June 29 we will be starting to be guides at the Paris Tabernacle and we will continue to be guides every other week on Saturdays from 1:30 to 5:30. So that will be good for fill up the time that nobody is home.  

The wards here are really nice and in the 2 Garden City wards they have a ton of people come. To show how many people come picture the Gleannloch building and it being filled all the way to the stage and that's what last week was in those wards. It was crazy but most of the people there were just visiting. We spoke in the Bern ward this past week and it went well I accidentally went over like 10 minutes but the nice thing about being a missionary is that I am starting to get pretty good at preparing and giving talks. Haha I still get really nervous and sweat a lot until I actually get up and start talking. But yeah I hope everyone is doing well and I hope that y'all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Curtis

6/4/13 Paris, ID

So this week hasn't been too eventful we are "white washing" the Paris Stake which means Elder Felton (my new companion) and I are both brand new to the area and know nothing about it. So for right now we are trying to get to know people and trying to find some people to teach. It is a really nice area and it's more of a summer towns so now is the best time for us to be here in the Paris Stake. Oh and most likely we will be doing tabernacle guides on Saturdays for the Paris Tabernacle. Well I don't have much more to report but here is a funny pic I took with a wood carving on a tree trunk which we found on the side of the road. I think it might be Mulan from the disney movie :)  My companion and the stake are really good but the missionary work will probably be really hard here.

 

My new address:

Elder James Curtis

455 S Main apt # A
St Charles, ID 83272

This will prob be my new address for at least 7 more weeks because the pocatello mission transfer schedule is off by 2 weeks from the ogden mission transfer schedule.

 

Here is a few pics from my new area. My new area covers half of Bear Lake.

 

 

5/28/13 Garland, UT

Well I just found out today that I am leaving Garland, Utah and I am going to Paris, Idaho. Unfortunately as of July 1, 2013 that area will not be part of the Utah Ogden Mission. I will be moving to the Pocatello, Idaho Mission will no longer be in the Utah Ogden Mission so that's going to be an interesting move this next transfer.

 

Here are some more pictures from docking sheep, branding, and lunch with the Kunzler Family:

 

5/21/13 Garland, UT

Honestly I don't have much to report this week. We don't have many investigators right now. We found a few less actives to teach and visit. We are still currently trying to find more people to teach by tracting, yes I said tracting haha, and going through the unbaptized list. I got letters from Lindsey, Amanda and Mom this past week and I will try my hardest to write y'all back this week. Thank y'all so much for the letters!! In my opinion they are way better emails. This last Saturday we went and docked some sheep with the Kunzler family out in Park Valley which is pretty bloody but it was still a lot of fun (sorry I don't have any pictures of that). So most likely I think I will be getting transferred this Wednesday so my address might be changing next week so keep that in mind if y'all are thinking about writing or sending me anything. I hope y'all are all still doing great and I look forward from hearing from y'all next week.

5/14/13 Garland, UT

Hey it was another good week here in Garland. We had another baptism on Saturday his name is Henry and he is 11 years old and he was pretty much ready to get baptized before we even met him. He had been going to scouts and knew a lot about the church and all he had to do was go to church 3 times. So we taught him the lessons and he came to church every week and he got baptized last Saturday. Sorry I didn't get time to call everyone but hopefully at Christmas we can get everyone on gmail  and do a google hangout so that I can talk to everyone. For mother's day the ward's here gave out flowers that could be planted in their gardens at home. I hope y'all had a great mother's day weekend and that y'all have another great week this week :)

5/7/13 Garland, UT

Sorry I dont have a lot of time this week again but I did have a baptism this last Saturday it went great and I will attach pictures below. Her name is Debbie and she is 11 years old. We have another baptism this week and his name is Henry and he is 11 years old too. Other than that it was a kinda slow week. We are still trying to find more people to teach. I went to the Logan temple today and it was really fun and great to be able to have the blessing of going to the temple every month. I have to go now hopefully next week I will have more time for emails. I love y'all so much and look forward to talking to y'all next week.

Here are pics of my ankle from last weekend (so y'all can see how bad it was) and a guy in one of the wards that looks like Robert Downey Jr.